Customer Reviews

Stairway Walks in San Francisco

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
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I completed maybe 12 of the walks from the earlier edition before I moved away from SF. I reget not completing them all. My advice for anyone living in SF or visiting it, buy this book and spend a few hours taking in one of the walks. You'll see neighborhoods that even long time residents don't know about. And, you'll be away from the crowds who flock to the usual places. Buy it and do it!

I found the first edition of this book while I was attending college, in the college bookstore. At once I said to myself, "Yes! Cheap, er, I mean creative dates!" , as one knows, most college students don't have much money. But this book was a treasure. Each walk is a fascinating adventure through an already fascinating City. The City becomes even more alluring after one traverses these walks. Especially with a friend, loved one, or just someone you wish to impress. The walks are full of discovery, surprises and beautiful scenery. I only completed about 6 of these walks, and partially completed 3 others. (I've repeated some of these walks up to 3 times) But merely reading about the other walks sounds exciting enough to keep me trying more and more. Now that I have a good job and don't need to be quite as frugal on dates, I still enjoy going on these amazing "mini-adventures" with my friends, and now my wife. And you will too. It's a shame this is out of print. You, dear reader, had better try to find a copy so you can enjoy these exciting walks with someone you love to talk with, impress, or simply take a romantic stroll with.

My partner and I stumbled upon this book several years back and haven't stopped using it since! Ms. Bakalinsky takes you on some magical journeys in San Francisco, where stairways seem to appear out of nowhere, full of charm and elegance. We are long-term residents of that fair city, yet this book manages to render afresh neighborhoods with which we thought we were long familiar. Filled with lots of fascinating points of interest and written in an engaging, conversational style, you won't be disappointed in this selection. We've made outings of these walks with friends and family and they continue to rave about them years afterward.

This is a book that has something few city guides have -- heart and charm. It reminds us that in many ways San Francisco is a collection of villages that are best explored on foot.The talky narrative provides interesting tidbits about not just individual neighborhoods but even individual homes. It is egalitarian in its selection of spots, not just the familiar tourist points but the "real" neighborhoods.And it something even jaded locals should find enlightening -- even tips on where to find wild blackberries!The illustrations by the late Trudie Douglas add to the charm of the book, making these walks seem like a treasure hunt from a favorite children's adventure book.It is good to see that Ms. Bakalinsky has written a similar book on LA, leading one to hope this could be the beginning of an ongoing series -- Seattle and Vancouver both beckon for similar guides to be published.

There are quite a few guidebooks to walks in San Francisco. I think this is the best one. The routes are longer than in most other books and they take you into the livelier interior of the city, instead of just around the touristy edges like most other books.

I've lived in San Francisco for a number of years, but I have to admit Stairway Walks in San Francisco has shown me parts of the city I never knew where there. While the writing may not always be as interesting as what I prefer, the 20 plus walks are always a winner.

This book describes walks that are wonderful for their views, history, and architecture; the author has done a great service to those who love San Francisco. I've done all of the walks in the fifth edition; the sixth edition has three new walks, as well as minor changes to the 24 walks from the previous edition. There are incredible views of downtown from peaks such as Corona Heights and Tank Hill, and dramatic vistas of the Golden Gate and Marin Headlands from Lands End. At times, you may run into residents responsible for the beautiful landscaping alongside some of the stairways. One of the book's virtues is that it covers not only the famous tourist areas (such as Nob, Telegraph, and Russian Hills) but also quieter neighborhoods not often visited by non-residents, such as Forest Hill and Bernal Heights. The walk to Grand View Park gives you a feeling of what San Francisco was like in the old days, when much of it was covered by sand dunes. A typical walk is about 2 miles (ranging from 1 to 3.5) with a few hundred feet of elevation gain (200 to 700); my only minor complaint is that the book does not include distance and elevation information. Every walk has information on public transit; by using MUNI and BART, you avoid the hassle of searching for a parking space.

I've lived in SF since 1970 and I have had all the editions of this book since she first wrote it many years ago. SF is one of the greatest walking cities in the world, and this book will take locals and visitors alike to some of the most enchanting locations we have to offer. Put on your walking shoes, get a copy of this book, and clumb all the stairways you can manage!

Adah's book is a great collection of walks all over the city. As the name implies, all the walks focus on the stairways for which San Francisco is so well known. This has two implications: one is that these walks will wear you out; the second is that, on sunny days, you get incredible views from the tops of all the stairways Adah has you climb.

For locals, the 27 walks cover the entire town from Glen Canyon to Lands End to Potrero Hill. No matter how long you've lived in San Francisco, I guarantee you'll see great spots you've never been to before.

Most of the walks are well off the beaten path for visitors, but a couple cover the classic tourist areas of North Beach, China Town, and Telegraph Hill. The Russian Hill North walk, done on a sunny day, will have anyone believing San Francisco is the most beautiful city on earth.

Adah provides maps, directions, and a great deal of color commentary for each walk. She tends to focus on eccentric details of the local architecture and flora for each walk, lending a whimsical quality to the whole experience.

Two last things to keep in mind. First, because the views are such a big part of these walks, Adah's trips are much better in good weather than in bad. Second, Adah is sometimes a little loose with her directions; I recommend cross checking the directions and the map often.

I grew up in a few of these neighborhoods and had no idea some of these nooks and crannies even existed. I've done half the walks so far and, without fail, everyone of them has provided a new and spectaclar experience.
Writing a walking tour book is tough. You don't want to bog the reader/walker down with so much text that they don't have the chance to look up and enjoy the view (and there are a lot of them). Adah Bakalinsky hits it just right.
A word of warning: The reason the stairs are there is because of the hills. Like, big hills. Start with an easy walk. Some of these are a real workout. I made the mistake of starting with Walk 17 (the pic on the cover) and was sore for two days. On the other hand, Walk 17 is so cool I've done it twice.
If you are interested in the physical and architectual bueaty of the city, and you want to see it close up and get a workout at the same time, you gotta buy this book!